What Charles Cross said about his contract talks with Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks star left tackle Charles Cross is eligible for a new extension
Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Charles Cross blocks against the Chicago Bears.
Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Charles Cross blocks against the Chicago Bears. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
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It's been a while since the Seattle Seahawks had a first-round pick worthy of a signing a big second contract, but left tackle Charles Cross is absolutely one of them.

Cross, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State, has been the anchor of the Seahawks' offensive line since his arrival. The 24-year-old earned an 82.5 overall grade (10th among 140 offensive tackles) from Pro Football Focus last season, as well as an 81.3 pass block grade (15th) and 77.9 run block grade (16th). With how bad the Seahawks' offensive line was as a whole last season, him playing so well is nothing short of a miracle.

Earlier this offseason, the Seahawks picked up Cross' fifth-year option to keep him under contract through 2026 season and giving him a nice raise. That's a nice reward, and it's nice to see Seattle actually pick up a fifth-year option, but it's not the main prize.

Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Charles Cross during warmups prior to the game.
Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Charles Cross during warmups prior to the game. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

That would be the massive extension he's now eligible for, which could make him one of the highest-paid offensive tackles in the league. For now, though, that's not at the forefront of Cross' mind.

"I’m just worried about right now, that’s it," Cross said. "We’ll get to that when that time comes."

Granted, that seems to be waht just about every NFL player in the midst of contract negotiations says, but it's still nice to hear. For a more candid reaction, look no further than what Cross said when asked about his fifth-year option.

"I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but Seattle," Cross said. "I love the fans here, I love the team. One of the greatest organizations in the NFL. I like it here a lot."

The Seahawks made many of the moves they did this offseason to free up cap space for the future, and what better use of that newfound cap space than extending their franchise lineman.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

Jon is a lead writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI and contributes to other sites around the network as well. The Tampa native previously worked with sites such as ClutchPoints and GiveMeSport and earned his journalism degree at the University of Central Florida.